Hardening alloy for bearing metals and process of using same



. Patented duly 22, T24.

ROBERT HUGHES EVANS, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN HARDENING ALLOY FOR BEARING METALS AND PROCESS OF USING SAME.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. EVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hardening Alloys for Bearing Metals and Processes of Using Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hardeners for hearing metals and to a process of making suitably hardened bearing metals.

Its object is to facilitate the making of alloys for bearings especially in localities where crucibles and furnaces necessary for melting the more highly refractory ingredients are not accessible and the ingredients are dificult to obtain.

Ordinary bearing metals of the babbitt type are composed of a relatively large proportion of lead-which is readily procurable in all communities,and a relatively small proportion of hardening ingredients such as antimony, tin, copper and bismuth,- which are not readily obtainable in smaller communities. Antimony and copper have a relatively high melting point, and are not easily fused (particularly copper) with ordinary heating apparatus and melting containers. Furthermore, successful production of a bearing metal alloy does not result from the mere mmgling of the several ingredients in the correct proportions in the solid state and heating them together. For good results in making alloys for hearing metal it is essential to follow a certain procedure, melting certain ingredients and adding others definite order. It is not an easy matter "for the ordinary mechanic or other person who wishes to line a bearing to produce the proper alloy, even it he has the necessary knowledge and ingredients, without suitable heating apparatus which may not be readily available at the locality 'where the work is to be done.

In order that a mechanic or other person may easily and successfully produce a good bearing metal alloy of the proper composition in any locality with ordinary heating apparatus 1 have conceived of alloying the necessary hardening metals at the factory, thus rendering this hardening alloy readily Application filed November 13, 1922. Serial No. 600,681.

available as a distinct marketable product so that by purchasing this alloy any one can readily fuse it with the necessary quantity of lead in order to produce a successful bearing metal. This hardening alloy, although containing ingredients that cannot, separately, be melted at temperatures obtainable with ordinary heating means, is readily fusible in melted lead at a temperature obtainable with ordinary readily available heating means.

My invention therefore consists (1) in a hardening alloy as a distinct product composed of metals suitable for the purpose and (2) in the method of making bearin metals which consists in fusin in and alloying with a quantity of melted sad the correct propfirtion of the previously formed hardening a 0y.

The hardening alloy which is the subject of this invention consists of (by weight) substantially seventy parts of antimony, twenty five parts of tin, three parts of copper and two parts of bismuth. In the preparation of this alloy it is necessary to first fuse the copper with a small quantity of tin, in order to make an alloy having a lower melting point than copper, and to add the quantity of bismuth to reduce the melting point and prevent excessive shrinkage --0f the ultimate bearing metal alloy. The copper tused with the small quantity of tin (say between one and two parts of the total hundred parts) and the bismuth are added to the melted antimony to produce the hardening alloy.

In the process of making bearing metals substantially eighty parts of lead should be melted and substantially twenty parts of the described hardening alloy added to it. The hardening alloy may be out or divided into small pieces and introduced in a solid state into the molten lead and the particles of hardening alloy will readily fuse and alloy with the lead. The proportions named are by weight.

In stating the proportion of the ingredients of the hardening alloy to be substantially seventy of antimony, twenty-five parts of tin, three parts of copper and two parts of bismuth in each one hundred parts by weight of the alloy, I mean to indicate that the maximum and minimum variations from these proportions should not be more than two parts of antimony, one part of tin, one

half part of copper and one halfpart of bismuth.

Thus, any mechanic or other rson having this hardening allo may me e the highest grade b earin meta anywhere with facility because lea is readlly proourable in any locality and melts at a relativel low tem erature and the hardening a oy is rea ily fusible in molten lead or at the temperature at which lead melts.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patin substantially the-proportions by weight here indicated, to W117.

- Partl. Antimony a 70 ('JIin 25 upper i 3 Bismuth 2 2. The process of making bearing metals as l l l 1 av 

